Feel

The band is learning a new song, an original written by RS. It is one of those hyper fast, over-before-you-know-it, punk tunes. The first part I wrote for it was about all I could manage given the bpm...a boom chick kind of thing. The bass player is doing something that swings a bit, though...or maybe it is slightly behind the beat instead of on top of it. I keep trying to adjust to the bass, but everytime I bring it up, he says he's following me...which clearly is not the case.

The song goes by so fast, and I'm required to hit some key fills, so it is hard to goof with the groove and try different things. And since the motto of the band seems to be "screw it, it's punk rock" I don't anticipate that there is much patience for me to parce this situation, unfortunately.

It definitely feels like a learning moment, though...and the first time that "feel" has been a factor. I'm not sure how to correct it, but I'm certain that I'm not in the pocket, not playing with the other musicians, and generally out of sorts on this tune (though everyone insists it sounds fine). The fact that I can tell something is off is good. Now I just have to figure out how to fix it.

I think we're moving at about 300 bpm (metronomes don't even go that high). The feel of the song is as follows (I think):


Meanwhile, I've been playing this:


So they are swinging a bit and I'm playing straight. That can work, but it isn't what I want to happen.

I think the simplest remedy is for me to pick up the "and of 2" note. The bass player is essentially playing (again, I THINK):

So if I hit the "and of 2" I will be playing with him and it will stop feeling like we're not together. I think I can do this on the snare. Something like this on the snare:


I think that where my internal conflict was coming from was that they are playing an off-beat pattern and I've been playing an on-beat pattern. It isn't ACTUAL feel (playing ahead or behind beat or swinging) so much as I'm just doing a different rhythm.

It's starting to make sense.